


Not Quite Perfect

by Jlocked, The_Lady_of_Purpletown



Series: Perfect Boyfriends All Year Round [2]
Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Christmas, Christmas is over, Food, Glitter, M/M, Rainbows, Second Date, dishonourable discharge, first time meeting up at seb's place, off-screen mention of animal cruelty, sebastian's army backstory
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-04
Updated: 2021-01-04
Packaged: 2021-03-15 00:46:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28554849
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jlocked/pseuds/Jlocked, https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Lady_of_Purpletown/pseuds/The_Lady_of_Purpletown
Summary: Jim has managed to hide from yet another Christmas.Sebastian is ready for a cheerful date.
Relationships: Sebastian Moran/Jim Moriarty
Series: Perfect Boyfriends All Year Round [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2067516
Comments: 3
Kudos: 10





	Not Quite Perfect

“It’s the moooost wonderful time of the yeaaaaaaaar!” Sebastian sang at the top of his lungs. A week ago, he wouldn’t have believed it was possible to be _feeling_ it, but then he’d met Jim. He’d found something to look forward to. Even if he’d had to wait until Christmas was over—as he’d gone to see his mother in Ireland, and Jim apparently had plans of his own—he felt like it had made the season much better, knowing that a cute guy would be visiting afterwards.

It was almost time for him to arrive now, so Sebastian did another round of his flat. The Christmas tree was perfect in its rainbow-glitter glory, the snacks were ready on the coffee table, his pork pies were ready to be popped into the oven, and he still had half of his mother’s giant Christmas cake. If the evening didn’t end in the way he quietly hoped, it certainly wouldn’t be due to him being a less than perfect host.

The doorbell rang and he rushed to the door. “Jim! Hi!” Sebastian beamed.

Jim almost recoiled at the sight of him. "What are you wearing?" he demanded.

Sebastian looked down at his own chest, which was clad in a thick, orange woolly jumper with black patterns of snowflakes, little trees, and stripes. "Oh." He chuckled. "An ugly Christmas jumper?"

"But it's not Christmas anymore?" Jim sounded oddly concerned.

Sebastian shrugged. "It's always the right time to be comfortable. So please!" He gestured into the flat, towards the sofa.

Jim took a single step, then froze, staring at the tree, his mouth hanging open.

Sebastian grinned. "Yeah, I know. It's a bit much, but... not like anyone who comes in here doesn't know about me yet."

"About you?" Jim frowned.

Sebastian pointed at one of the rainbow-flag garlands in the tree.

"Oh...? Oh!" Jim nodded slowly. "So you have this up like... all year round?"

"Huh. There's an idea!" Sebastian grinned. "What would you like to drink?"

"Uhm..." Jim was still eyeing the tree suspiciously. "Do you have tea?"

"Sure. Would you like a Christmas blend or something else?"

"That's a thing?"

"Of course it is." Sebastian frowned and then suddenly realised he'd been an idiot. "Oh... Do you celebrate something else than Christmas in this season?"

"No," Jim muttered. "I don't celebrate anything.... else."

"Well, would you like to try it then? It's got cinnamon, cloves and orange. Or I can just make you a cup of strong Earl Grey."

"Earl Grey," Jim gasped, then quickly added: "Please."

…

He watched Sebastian disappear into what he assumed was the kitchen, then went to sit down on the large grey sofa, squeaking in surprise as he sank further down into the cushions than expected. He tried straightening up, tugged a bit on his shirt and looked around. The room was nice. A bit impersonal perhaps, if it wasn't for the giant, rainbow monstrosity that Jim sincerely hoped would be taken down shortly. Sebastian had been away for Christmas, so maybe that was why he hadn’t gotten around to it yet. Though, if he had been out of town for the holiday, why did he even have a tree?

As he checked his phone, Jim realised Sebastian had begun humming in the kitchen. Some kind of cheerful melody that Jim couldn't quite place. It sounded like he had a good voice. Deep. Jim liked that.

Soon, Sebastian returned with the tea, which he placed on the table next to the bowls of biscuits and crisps.

Jim sniffed the tea, then eyed the biscuits. They seemed normal enough. So maybe Sebastian _was_ actually aware that Christmas was well and truly over.

"I... like your place."

"Thanks." Sebastian smiled. "It's not much, but well... I've barely been here before last month."

That was an interesting phrasing. "So... where were you?"

"Afghanistan," Sebastian said, his expression turning grim.

"Oh." Jim had expected that answer, but not the change of mood. "Do you... do you want to talk about it?"

"I don't know. It's not exactly a cheerful story and I don't want to spoil the mood for you..." He ran a finger along the scar in his face.

"No, please." It was better than Jim having to talk about himself. And did sound like it might be interesting.

"If you're sure." Sebastian's eyes lingered on Jim's face for a moment as if to check, and then his expression softened a little. "I suppose it's fair you know that I was discharged dishonourably. You know, before we..." He gestured between them and shrugged.

"Right." Jim nodded, trying to hide his excitement. "Makes sense."

"It's..." Sebastian took a deep breath and clenched his fists. "I guess it's still making me angry. There were some guys from my squad... We hadn't seen any action for a while and they got bored. They started bothering a wild cat. The poor thing was making a racket and I yelled for them to stop, but they didn't. So... I made them." He looked away and sighed.

"Made them?" Jim prompted, fighting the urge to shift closer.

"Yeah. They got hurt. And my commanders couldn't tolerate in-fighting, so... Here I am."

"I see. Was that where you got the..." Jim hesitated. Was that the sort of thing you could ask? Would Sebastian be angry?

"Oh." Sebastian let out a chuckle. "Yeah. I tried to calm down the cat, but of course it was spooked. Can't blame it."

"The... the cat!?"

"It wouldn't have attacked anyone if those idiots had just left it alone!" Sebastian said quickly.

"Of course not." Jim could feel himself failing at suppressing a smile. "So what... what happened to it? After?"

"I don't really know. I hope it just... got away. But by that point, people had reached me so I got caught up in the whole fuss." Sebastian paused. "So... now you know."

"Yes, that's..." Jim considered for a moment. It was a cute and at the same time almost thrilling tale. He'd like to know exactly what Sebastian had done to those other soldiers. Surely it had to be better than a punch or two. But he probably shouldn't ask. At least not yet. "That's kind of brilliant."

Sebastian's eyes widened. "You think so? Most people tell me it's ridiculous that I gave everything up for a cat. I didn't even tell the guys I was at the café with, because I didn't want to know what they'd have to say about it."

Jim shrugged. "I wouldn't tell those guys a bomb was going off if they were standing on it."

"Yeah. I guess I wouldn't now, either." Sebastian smiled.

…

They had a pleasant chat and made their way through a lot of the snacks, a pot of tea and a large bottle of soda. By that point, Sebastian felt it was time for dinner. He thought it had been implied that Jim was invited for that, too—he was more than welcome to spend the night, if Sebastian had any say in it—but Jim seemed a little surprised, and even more so when it turned out that Sebastian’s pork pies were homemade and came with a side of vegetables that Sebastian still had to put together while the pies were in the oven. 

He didn’t offer to help, but Sebastian supposed it made sense for them to have a moment on their own. Just doing their own thing and letting the conversation sink in. For someone who hadn’t even wanted to give him his phone number, there hadn’t been any sign that Jim trusted Sebastian less because of his dishonourable discharge. Rather the opposite. Perhaps it was because Sebastian had opened up about something important, but… There seemed to be something else to it.

Either way, Jim hadn’t run off, and in the few silences that had fallen, Sebastian had felt like they’d both been waiting for the other to lean in for a kiss. He wasn’t planning to let the next opportunity go to waste.

“There's a tree in the Grand Hotel, one in the park as well, it's the sturdy kind that doesn't mind the snow, ohhh…” he sang happily, spooning a layer of carrot slices neatly into a bowl. “Iiiit’s beginning! To look a lot—like Christmaaas… Soon I’ll kiss a guy...”

He glanced over his shoulder to see if Jim had heard his adapted lyrics, but there was no indication. He seemed focused on his phone. Sebastian wondered if it was work-related; he still needed to figure out what exactly Jim did.

He kept singing until the vegetables were ready, which really didn’t take very long after the preparations he’d done earlier, so he decided to join Jim for ten minutes until he could take the pies out of the oven.

“You know,” he said as he sat down on the sofa, “I’m really happy you’re here. I mean, you’ve seen who my friends were before. I really needed to get to know new people. There hasn’t really been anyone with whom I could just hang out like this for a long time. I know it sounds soppy, but this means a lot.”

There was no reply and Sebastian shifted a little, directing his words towards his glass. “It’s silly, but… When Dave was about to punch you, I guess I felt a bit like when those guys were torturing that cat. Like you just had a right to be free of all that stupidity. I’d say I’m sorry for just grabbing you, but I don’t regret it. I don’t know what I’d be doing today if we hadn’t started talking. I don’t think I’ve ever just _clicked_ with anyone like with you.”

He glanced to the side of Jim’s face and then did a double take. “Are you… Are you wearing headphones?”

He hesitated, then waved a hand between Jim's face and his phone screen.

Jim flinched and looked up. "Oh," he muttered sheepishly before reaching up to remove one of the earbuds. "I didn't see you come back."

"Are you okay? Should I leave you alone for a bit?" Sebastian asked. "I suppose I can delay the pies."

"I'm fine, it's just..." Jim fidgeted. "You were singing..."

Sebastian raised an eyebrow. "You think my singing is so bad you have to stuff your ears?"

"No!" Jim took out the other bud and put them both in his pocket. "I like your voice, I... I like _you_ , it's just... I really can't handle any more Christmas shit and I didn't want to have to bolt, especially after you were so sweet and all, so... I figured I'd just..." He shrugged. "Sorry?"

Sebastian gaped at him. "You just don't like Christmas?"

"What's to like? It's noisy and garish. Too many people everywhere spending too much money. And eating. Constantly eating." Jim shivered at the thought, or perhaps an unpleasant memory. "I usually just hunker down and wait for it to be over."

"Oh. And then you came in here and I'm all..." Sebastian waved an arm towards the tree.

Jim's smile was small and equal parts embarrassed and amused. "It was a little jarring and... made me question if I'd gotten the right impression of you. But then we talked and... Well... I think you're amazing."

Sebastian grinned. "How about getting really amazing and making it up to you with a kiss?"

Jim glanced up at the ceiling above them, frowned and then smiled at Sebastian. "I'd like that."

Sebastian glanced at the ceiling too, confused. "What are you looking for?"

"Just checking."

Sebastian frowned for a moment, but then the penny dropped. "Were you worried there was mistletoe up there?"

Jim gave a half shrug. "Maybe..."

Sebastian chuckled. “You know what, I’ll make it easier for you.” He sat back to pull the horrible orange jumper over his head and dropped it behind him, leaving him in a tight, black T-shirt. 

Then he finally leaned in for his kiss. Behind him, the kitchen timer started blaring, but he decided the pies would be fine for another two minutes.


End file.
